During the past several years, there has been increasing interest in the development of follow-on protein products in light of advances in manufacturing technology, process control, and protein characterization. We use the informal term follow-on protein products generally to refer to proteins and peptides that are intended to be sufficiently similar to a product already approved under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act or licensed under the Public Health Service Act to permit the applicant to rely on certain existing scientific knowledge about the safety and effectiveness of the approved protein product. Follow-on protein products may be produced through biotechnology or derived from natural sources. FDA has been considering the circumstances in which review and approval of follow-on protein products may be appropriate.

This Web page provides a compilation of presentations, and public comments on scientific and regulatory issues related to the development of follow-on protein products. Additional documents and information will be added as they become available.

Scientific Issues in Assessing the Similarity of Follow-on Protein ProductsDecember 12-14, 2005Co-sponsored by FDA, in collaboration with the National Institute for Standards and Technology, and the New York Academy of Sciences